1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of devices usable for the cleaning of eggs carried upon conveying systems in orderly rows. The present invention is particularly usable for cleaning of eggs which are arranged with the long axes oriented laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction of movement of the conveying apparatus.
Such apparatus is normally utilized as an initial step when eggs are removed from a conventional poultry house in order to clean the eggs such that they are readily prepared for further processing which may include candling, grading by weight, inspection, packing or other various steps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previously used devices are capable of complete washing of the eggs as they are carried upon a conveyer therebelow. Such a washing station normally includes a configuration of conventional brushes which may be cylindrical, flat brushes or other similar means of applying washing bristles or the like to the external surface of an egg.
Normally these brushes are positioned immediately above the egg such as that when the egg passes thereunder, the egg contacts the washing means and the external surface of the egg is thereby cleaned. However when eggs are oriented with the long axes laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction of movement of the conveyer, the ends of the eggs are rarely cleaned. This is due to the fact that in order to clean the egg ends it would be necessary to have the brush so close to the conveyer that damage to the high points of the eggs is significantly increased. The present invention provides a novel means for cleaning of the ends of the eggs when arranged with the long axes lateral which does not increase the probability of a breakage of the high points of the eggs.